IDF002  “M51 ‘Super Sherman’ Israeli Tank”

Sometimes nicknamed the “Isherman” the M51 was a much modified version of the classic WW2 American M4 Sherman.  It served the Israeli Defense Forces from the mid 1950’s up until the early 1980’s... a remarkable military achievement!

Israel received almost 300 of these models from France in the mid 1950’s...  Sometime in the early 1960’s these M51’s were ‘upgunned’ with a powerful 105mm main gun and were also reengined with the ‘Cummins Diesel Engine’.

M51’s and their Sherman stablemates the M50 saw combat over a wide area of battle during the short SIX-DAY WAR.  They fought in the Sinai... helped retake Jerusalem and the West Bank and helped capture the Golan Heights.

Our K&C model mounts the big 105mm main gun together with the secondary armament of a hull-mounted .30 cal. machine gun and a turret-mounted .50 cal. heavy machine gun.

Two Israeli tankers come with the vehicle and the tank also ‘sports’ a broad, black-bordered white aircraft recognition stripe on top of the turret and over the rear engine compartment.  And now for the infantry support... A squad of elite Israeli paratroopers in action...